Nigeria’s power minister speaks on reforms, marks 100 days in office

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has announced a new phase of infrastructure development and investment mobilisation as the Federal Government moves from immediate power sector stabilisation towards building a more resilient and future-ready electricity system.

Mr Tegbe disclosed this at a programme in Abuja on Tuesday put together to mark his first 100 days in office.

President Bola Tinubu, in June, swore in Mr Tegbe as Minister of Power alongside Sola Enikanolaiye, who was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Their appointments followed the resignations of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and that of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.

During his Senate screening, Mr Tegbe warned that Nigeria’s electricity crisis would require tough and transparent reforms, stressing that there were no quick fixes.

He said the government’s approach to the sector must change.

“We will not do things the way we used to do before. I will not promise what I cannot deliver,” he said.

Mr Tegbe, who was previously appointed by Mr Tinubu in 2025 as Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, described electricity as a foundation for national confidence, noting that decades of reforms had yet to produce the desired results.

He pledged to prioritise execution over rhetoric, identifying power distribution, metering, transparency and sub-national participation as key areas of intervention.

“We must close the metering gap and ensure Nigerians can track performance through a transparent public dashboard. The sector must be properly structured, and the people deserve to see real improvement,” he said.

He also said sub-national governments would be encouraged to generate electricity to reduce pressure on the national grid.

“We will come with clear milestones. If results are not visible in three months, they won’t be in six,” he added.

First 100 days

On Tuesday, Mr Tegbe said the Ministry’s initial focus during his first 100 days had been to stabilise the existing electricity system, restore stranded generation capacity and strengthen the commercial and governance foundations needed to attract sustainable investment.

According to him, the next phase of the government’s intervention will focus on four priorities: deeper grid stabilisation, development of the Transmission Super Grid, improved utilisation of existing assets and preparation for future electricity demand.

The minister said Nigeria’s recent power mission to China secured commitments from Chinese companies and financiers to accelerate priority electricity projects based on defined completion schedules.

He said the engagements were designed to move beyond financing discussions towards partnerships involving capital, technology transfer and project delivery.

Mr Tegbe said CMEC had reaffirmed its role in the 1.9GW Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), with the first transmission lines scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027.

CNEEC, he added, had advanced financing arrangements for the $116 million Zungeru power evacuation project, with approval targeted before the end of the year.

TBEA also committed to a proposed $500 million industrial park for power-equipment manufacturing, alongside accelerated work on the PPI and a three-year delivery pathway for the East-West Super Grid.

HengFei Cables, according to the minister, committed to supplying cables for PPI Phase Two and proposed establishing a cable assembly plant and training centre in Nigeria.

Mr Tegbe said the initiatives would help link infrastructure development with local production and technical capacity.

The minister said the Ministry had commenced technical audits along the Lagos and Abuja transmission corridors to identify system weaknesses and guide investment towards interventions with measurable impact.

He identified the Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridors as central to the government’s grid-stabilisation programme.

He said the Ministry would also begin developing the Transmission Super Grid while continuing corridor stabilisation through the PPI and other related programmes.

Power sector challenges

Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to face challenges across generation, transmission and distribution, limiting the availability and reliability of power for households and businesses.

Unreliable gas supply, low generation output, ageing infrastructure, transmission bottlenecks, sector indebtedness, vandalism, metering gaps, tariff shortfalls and governance challenges have continued to undermine electricity supply.

Amidst these plethora of challenges, The federal government recently raised approximately N728.9 billion through the Series 2 bond issuance under its N4 trillion Power Sector Multi-Instrument Issuance Programme, as part of efforts to resolve longstanding financial obligations in Nigeria’s electricity market.

The lingering power challenges have forced many households and businesses across Nigeria to rely heavily on petrol and diesel generators, as well as solar systems, to supplement electricity from the national grid.

Digitalisation and system visibility

Mr Tegbe said the Federal Government had signed a cooperation agreement with Huawei Technologies covering grid digitalisation, loss reduction, SCADA gap assessment and technical training.

He said improved digital visibility and system control were necessary to strengthen the management and performance of the national electricity network.

Mr Tegbe also welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration proceedings concerning the Mambila Hydropower Project, saying the Ministry had engaged Energy China on the project.

He said the contractor had been directed to explore the most practical approach to delivering the project, including the possibility of a phased implementation.

According to him, larger hydropower projects, including Mambila, alongside small hydropower projects serving agricultural corridors, would form part of Nigeria’s medium- and long-term electricity strategy.

The minister also highlighted the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO), established to finance renewable-energy assets and infrastructure.

RAMCO is expected to engage competent operators for metering, billing, collection and maintenance, while targeting the mobilisation of ₦3 trillion over the coming years to support long-term investment and improve the viability of public renewable-energy assets.

Mr Tegbe said the Ministry’s first 100 days had focused on laying the foundation for future expansion of the electricity sector.

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“Stabilisation is the essential first stage of expansion,” he said.

He added that the Ministry would continue working with development partners, including the World Bank, African Finance Corporation, African Development Bank, Sustainable Energy for All and UK PACT, on financing, technical assistance, hydropower and electrification projects.

Over the next six months, he said, the Ministry would seek to translate the repairs, investments and reforms already underway into more visible improvements for electricity consumers.

“Our original commitment to visible, incremental improvements remains the benchmark,” Mr Tegbe said.

He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to a disciplined approach to addressing the sector’s challenges, reforming the national grid, improving electricity supply and communicating more transparently with Nigerians.